The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

ALL prospective candidates for Fort Charlotte but one were successfully nominated yesterday.

With independent candidate Delroy Meadows out of the race, as he was unable to pay the mandatory $400 deposit, the battle for Fort Charlotte will come down to the PLP’s Andre Rollins, the FNM’s Zhivargo Laing and the DNA’s Mark Humes.

Dr Rollins, who was the first to be nominated, much to the delight of his supporters, said he felt “excellent” and is focused on retaining Fort Charlotte for the PLP. He said: “We’re focused on the task at hand, which is to ready the troops and move throughout the constituency and ensure that we have left no stone unturned,” he said. The former NDP member said his party is also checking to ensure all residents voting in the area are properly registered.

“We are at the point now that every day is crucially important to the success of our campaign and we cannot rest until the last vote has been counted,” he said.

When asked if he was concerned about his biggest threat, Mr Laing, who served as the MP for that constituency until 2002, he said: “Not at all. We are supremely confident, but like I say, even with that confidence we cannot take anything for granted.”

He said he has no need to focus on individuals as he is grappling with a constituency that “has many, many needs and concerns” that require his full attention.

Mr Laing also received handshakes and hugs from his crew of supporters after being nominated.

He said he was happy to get the nomination over with and be officially qualified to contest the seat he was first elected to in 1997.

“Fort Charlotte residents have indicated to me that they would be happy to have someone in the House of Assembly who is going to look after their interests, be able to speak for them with clarity and be able to work in their community,” he said.

“It’s been 15 years now so I’m returning home as a more mature, more experienced candidate to serve the Fort Charlotte constituency.”

Mr Laing said when he was first elected to Parliament, “they said that they were putting a baby in the House. Well this time, they will put a man in the House.”

DNA chairman Mark Humes was the last to be successfully nominated and he said despite being new to the political scene, he has a plan for Fort Charlotte.

“One of the things I’ve been recognising in Fort Charlotte is that there are a lot of unemployed individuals here,” he said. “There a lot of young adults with no activities to occupy them, so what I’m hoping to do is bring new sorts of investments to the community and try to bring the community together so they can invest in themselves.”

Mr Meadows’ name will not be on the ballots as his nomination was rejected by parliamentary registration officials.

Despite being the first of the four candidates to turn up at CC Sweeting High School, the Fort Charlotte resident was the last to submit in his documents, doing so about 30 minutes before the end of the nomination period. He then stalled for time until he could get five supporters from his area to officially nominate him.

But the officials told Mr Meadows he was being rejected because he did not have the deposit.